


Make Me Smile

by Crybaby_Ninja



Category: Naruto
Genre: First Dates, Heart-to-Heart, KakaGai - Freeform, KakaGai Week 2019, Kakashi Hatake - Freeform, M/M, Might Guy - Freeform, POV Hatake Kakashi, Rin Nohara - Freeform, Trans Hatake Kakashi, eternal rivals, kakagai week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21908236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crybaby_Ninja/pseuds/Crybaby_Ninja
Summary: Kakashi turns to Rin for help before an important evening.Set before Rin's death(since the timeline is inaccurate for Kakashi's childhood, he and Gai are about thirteen here)Written for KakaGai week 2019
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin, Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Comments: 5
Kudos: 69
Collections: KakaGai Week 2019 entries





	Make Me Smile

Kakashi's stomach was churning as he waited for his teammate to arrive; he couldn't keep his fingers still, needing the distraction of noise, any noise, until she got there. It had been a while since he had felt nervous quite like this; he was thoroughly unsettled as he waited for her. At a hasty knock, he shot up, running for his front door like a frenzied puppy. 

“Kakashi, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Is everything okay?” The barrage of questions hit him as soon as he opened the door. Rin’s eyes were frantic as they assessed him for injury, her arms full of scrolls and her medical supplies. 

“I’m not hurt, no one’s hurt. Show me what tools you brought.” Kakashi sat on the floor in the cramped room, nervously flexing his hands as she followed him inside, laying all her equipment on the low table by him. 

“What’s this about? I brought everything I could think of – what do you need?” Her painted face shone with worry, an expression she often directed towards Kakashi. Maybe he should have told Pakkun more when he sent his ninken to fetch Rin; he needed her help today, not her pity or worry. 

“I need...” Kakashi paused, thinking through his words again. Manners would never be a strong suit of his, but it didn’t hurt to try and be polite sometimes. “Please can I use a brush, or some small scissors or... Something.” Though his face was mostly covered and his expression invisible, it was much harder to keep the frustration out of his voice. 

Rin’s face looked blank as she stared at him, blinking in the early afternoon light. 

“A brush, scissors? Kakashi, is this about your hair?” He couldn’t meet her eyes as she questioned him, but he nodded, wringing his gloveless hands. A pause stretched on between them; Kakashi knew she wanted more of an explanation, but admitting weakness in front of a fellow shinobi was always going to be difficult, regardless of how many years they’d worked together. 

He was glad when Rin didn't force him to talk, instead looking for a hairbrush among her tools while he slipped off his headband. 

"Do you have a movable mirror? Otherwise, we'll have to do this in front of the one in the bathroom." She came over, brush and medical scissors in hand. 

“There aren’t any mirrors here, I broke the one in the bathroom... Just cut it short, please.” He kept his eyes focused on the scratched floorboards – he couldn’t deal with her judgement, not when his nerves were already so on edge. 

“Okay, but it might not be very even without one.” 

***

Soon the small room was filled with the snip of scissors and the occasional yank of a hairbrush; the brush was barely used really, most of Kakashi's hair was just too matted and tangled for it. It didn't take long for the silence to become uncomfortable; Rin always treated him like he was fragile despite him being more qualified and capable than her. She was a far kinder friend than he deserved, one that he’d never asked for. 

“Why today? Did something happen?” Her voice was soft, her words casual. They both knew one shrug of Kakashi’s shoulders could shut down communication between them for a while, but he knew she wasn’t stupid. He had others he could have asked for help, Minato Sensei or Gai. But he hadn’t asked them – he had gone to Rin. 

“I’m going out tonight; me and Gai are going for a meal later...” His voice was barely more than a whisper, but he knew she had heard. He could practically feel the odd mixture of happiness and confusion she exuded from behind him. 

“Oh, that sounds fun!” She paused cutting his hair for a moment and he was grateful she couldn’t see his face from where she was. “But you two get food together all the time, what’s different about tonight?” 

It seemed she had expected Kakashi to take his time answering her; she didn’t rush him as he looked for the right words, searched for a way to explain something that he himself didn’t really understand. 

“He asked me differently, asked me in advance. And he was nervous too – I've seen him express lots of emotions before: anger, fear, ambition. But I've never seen him nervous and shy like that.” Kakashi could feel his face warming, ever grateful for his mask. 

“Shy? Might Gai was shy?” Rin’s baffled response made Kakashi smile despite his anxieties. “I thought his confidence was unshakable.” 

“We’re walking there together too, instead of just meeting there. Tonight is special.” Admitting something as trivial as spending time with a friend was important to him stirred a feint spark of excitement within him. 

The quiet that followed his confession was more relaxed, the repetitive snip of the scissors helped ease some of Kakashi’s nervousness. 

“That explains your civilian clothes then, though I think you might need to change your top.” Rin’s giggle at her words brought a blush right up to Kakashi’s ears, as she brushed off the fallen hair from around his shoulders. He was so glad they could have a conversation like this, without anything feeling weird between them – just genuine friendship. 

He smoothed down his wrinkled shirt, agreeing. Kakashi might be fine leaving the house covered in dog fur, but his own hair would be a little much, even for him. He turned to find a smile from Rin, her purple markings curving with her expression. 

“I’ll tidy this mess up while you change your top.” She was already gathering a dustpan and brush as she spoke. “Wear something nice, maybe loose enough that you don’t need your binder!” 

Kakashi smiled as he left the room, thankful he had a friend to turn to when he was in need. 

***

Kakashi's nerves pulled taught as the sunset, his fingers never ceasing fidgeting. He was ready early, of course, having settled on civilian clothes that looked identical to his shinobi attire – their thinner material the only real difference. As he hesitated in his hallway, contemplating cancelling the whole evening, three loud knocks echoed throughout his flat. 

Opening his front door, Kakashi found Gai, who seemed just as nervous as he himself felt; his usual grin was a little strained and his cheeks were dusted with a light blush. 

“Rival!” his eyes lit up when Kakashi emerged; Gai always seemed so happy to see him. “You’ve changed your hair! It looks so cool!” Seeing his friend on his doorstep brought-forth bubbles of excitement within Kakashi and he smiled, though Gai couldn’t see it. 

“You’ve changed too, no jumpsuit today?” Kakashi nodded towards his outfit. Gai’s usual clothing had been swapped for a turtle neck and trousers, though his jumper was still coloured a vivid green. His face reddened at Kakashi’s comment, though his smile stayed firmly in place. 

“I thought my jumpsuit might be a little inappropriate to wear to go out for food with you. I like it, but other people don’t.” Gai played with his red scarf as he spoke; it was strange to see him so subdued and cautious of others opinions of him. 

“Next time just wear whatever you’re comfortable in; you shouldn’t care what other people think.” As he spoke, he locked up his home and signalled to Gai to lead the way, shoving both hands in his pockets when they were free. 

***

The walk back from the restaurant was full of soft smiles and quiet laughter; at some point along the way, their fingers had intertwined, and Kakashi couldn't remember whose had reached for the others hand first. The meal itself had been full of odd pauses and embarrassed eye contact, but it hadn’t taken long for the setting and the situation to dissolve, until they were just two people who cared about each other, spending some time together. 

It hadn't gone unnoticed that every time Kakashi slipped his mask down to take a bite, Gai's eyes were everywhere but looking at him. He was always thoroughly engrossed in his food, or looking around at the décor - once he simply closed his eyes so as not to see Kakashi's bare face without permission. Anyone else would have taken advantage of the setting to see, but not him. 

“Why did you ask for this today, Gai? Was there a reason for it?” They had stopped in the middle of the village; to go home, they would have to part ways from this point onwards. As they stood still, facing each other, they kept hold of each other's hand. 

“I just wanted to see you smile.” Gai’s words were accompanied by a bright grin of his own, which soon gave way to a look of frantic horror. “Wait, no! I didn’t mean it like that! I meant that I wanted to make you smile, to be the reason you smiled. This wasn’t an excuse for me to try and see your face, I promise!” 

Kakashi’s reply was a soft laugh, ever grateful of how caring and respectful his friend was. Before he could talk himself out of it, he slipped his mask down and pressed a light kiss to Gai's cheek. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Rival.” His words were soft as he regarded the friend he had come to value so much. With a smile, Kakashi dissipated in a cloud of fresh leaves, leaving Gai stood in the centre of the village, his face as red as the scarf around his neck.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 for KakaGai Week 2019, written for the prompt 'Youth'.
> 
> Kakashi and Gai deserve an adorably awkward first date, and I just had to have Rin help <3  
> This one-shot was inspired by episode 288 of Naruto Shippuden which contained flashbacks of Kakashi, Gai and Rin on a mission as a three-man squad. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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